The Return from World War II
by spitfire00
Summary: Edward and Alphonse Elric are fantastic at leaving a wake of fire, though when the two brothers decided to double back on their path of unanswered questions, beer is raised at the returning flames. World War II was harsh and left its scars on the pair. Scars that will be explained for General Mustang and his team.


**AN/ This may unfortunately have some mistakes. I should have stopped and gone to bed a long time ago. I'm not very proud of this, though I'm going to work with it. There are no intended pairings in this, though if you see a relationship patched in here and you like it, then by all means, imagine what you wish. :) **

**I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. **

They all felt it. It was a familiar sensation that bloomed heavily in the soldier's bones. It was forever branded into their memories with a twinge of joyful bitterness and sad regrets of lost opportunities. It carried empty promises of mountains of knowledge and burning gold. It was almost comforting, if not nostalgic for aching holes a certain pair of brothers had teasingly left in their fiery wake. It was a glowing heat that made General Mustang's team antsy and squirm in anticipation.

The only question was, anticipation for what?

Because the only explanation for such a sensation was not possible. The spark was most certainly there, but even the master of flames himself knew better than to attempt to tame it. General Mustang felt the flicker first, though he did not voice his concerns. _Quite a silly move_ he would think years later after the chaos died down. After all, the last time an Elric showed his face on the proper side of the Gate, Central City was nearly demolished and a multidimensional war almost started. Riza Hawkeye would classify the pressure lurking in the air not long after, though she didn't dare bring up such a fragile subject. Edward and Alphonse's departure from the world wasn't often mentioned. The possibility of disturbing old scars was never an appeasing topic.

The rest of the men slowly came to similar conclusions after a few hushed and desperate whispers of _there's no way. _

_It is simply not possible. _

The Elric brothers had disappeared four years ago, burning a perfect hole in the lives of thousands of people. While no one knew the full extent of the dialogue that occurred on that aircraft except the General, it was shared that a large alchemical passage needed destroying. Jean Havoc was the one to explain the facts to the team first. Mustang was clearly not going to bother with it.

Ed, Al, and company had successfully made a Gate that allowed passage between two connected worlds. After ushering the foreign soldiers home, the brothers had no option but to remain stranded_._ Alphonse intrusted the task of destroying half the Gate to the General, and Roy had dutifully stormed down to the vacant underground city. Those were the facts. Everything else was... connecting the dots.

Destroying an entire _city _would take a lot of explosions. _Or at least a few huge ones, _Havoc had said. Despite the depths of the ruins, Mustang had told the Lieutenant that the after shocks of the explosions would still be detectable, and not to worry about where he vanished to.

But they never came.

A few hours later and Roy was back on the surface, claiming everything was taken care of and complaining because _God it's like he showed up after 2 years just to give me extra paperwork after Hell decides to cool._

Havoc has 200,000 cenz in the office pool that Gate is still glowing beneath HQ.

But now, they were back.

No.

_No._

_That's impossible._

It was that Wednesday at approximately four P.M. that worlds came crashing down. Falman was absently filing away the General's latest unpunctual yet extensive document. The atmosphere was warm as a placid conversation between Fuery, Breada, and Havoc popped up involving the rumors revolving around a new warehouse district located east of the city. Riza was contently packing up to head home when the General emerged from the inner office to join his subordinates.

"But if they make a new district, the old one isn't going to be used, and then they might not take care of it! It's already bad enough." Fuery squeaked.

"Why haven't you just taken a new route already? That's just a bekcon for trouble." Havoc grinned as a soft breeze passed through the open windows, warmth soothing the air with the signs of late spring.

Riza slung her bag over her shoulder but didn't make to leave. The unusual environment was light enough and strangely tepid that she didn't want to depart and disturb the stagnant feelings. It was reassuring that their team was still capable of simplicity.

"Not this again..." Roy murmured, his fake complaining completing the conversation, opening up opportunities to hang around longer than necessary at the office. No one was in a particular rush and all the heavy, stressing work was completed, lightening everyone's moods.

Later it would be explained as the calm before a storm.

"Maybe you should just get a car already." Breada mentioned as he fiddled with a makeshift slingshot complete with rubber bands and pencils.

"As if I could afford it! Plus, the walk to the dorms isn't long enough for a car, that doesn't make sense."

Roy casually leaned against the door frame entering the inner office and locked eyes with Riza, raising a single eyebrow graciously and looking back to the scene folding out in front of them.

"But you could share it with Falman! Hell, we should all get in on it!" Havoc proclaimed, his cigarette bouncing with every consonant as he sat up from his previous lounging position.

"You're joking right? That's a terrible idea." Breada deadpanned. "You would only use it for dates and Fuery can't drive."

"No, no, listen. Between the six of us-"

"I have a car." Roy said impassively.

"Not gonna happen." Riza chided patiently.

Looks were tossed to Mustang and Hawkeye before Havoc continued as if the interruption never occurred.

"-four of us, I'm sure we could afford it! Set up a schedule and everything! Think about it! Why haven't we thought of this before?"

"You just want to show off." Breada commented with an eye-roll directed at the excited Lieutenant.

"Cars are rapidly gaining popularity in our culture, maybe we should consider such an idea." Falman commented as he sat back at his desk. "The rate in which they are being created and sold is at a premium status for purchase." It took less time than normal to decode Falman's latest remark, guess the spring air and casual chitchat even affected his commentary.

Mustang allowed a disregarding smirk and closed his eyes as he crossed his arms across his chest. "And just were would you acquire the money from? Last time I checked, most of you are in the negatives in the wagers."

This comment flung reality back into the soldier's faces, but the warm breeze and easy sun kept their spirits light as Riza seated herself on the arm of one of the couches located in the outer office and shook her head in defeat. Honestly, the betting pool had grown much too large to be considered healthy.

"Maybe you could just give us all a raise General!" Havoc beamed sarcastically, false hopefulness echoing off his words laughably.

"Earn it." Was all the raven haired man had to reply.

"But Breada's right... we'd have to teach Fuery how to drive... what'do ya think Fuery?"

The younger man was never given the chance to reply however, because a slightly deeper voice answered for him.

"As long as we're giving lessons, I could really use some. Crashing into trees shouldn't be a common occurrence as it is."

And everyone stopped, because no one had said that. A ghost had said that. A voice that shouldn't have been his voice because _damn, when had the kid breezed through puberty and decided to drop an octave? And oh god, how old is he now? He's not twelve. No, he's twenty-four. He can drive? _

"Yeah, I'm getting in on this too. I refuse to yet Brother teach me. He's a walking pile up."

And _No. No. Don't go there. Alphonse is twenty-three. Er, 19? He can drive too!? _

And _no, don't look, they'll stop talking because__** they're not real. **_

Of course they looked. All of them. Every one of the team turned their heads to the window where the voices were emitting from. The calm was instantly shattered, and the lighting and thundering laughs broke though as the breeze blew a bit harder, blowing two golden ponytails back as the pair of brothers grinned at them.

The Elric brothers were sitting in General Mustang's window.

_Right._ _Of course they were. Because the Erlics rarely found it necessary to preform the possible when the impossible was much more fun._


End file.
